


Falling

by Genius_626



Category: The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (TV)
Genre: Brea and Rian becoming besties, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hopeful Rian, Nightmares, Optimistic Brea, Post Season 1, Rian having time to process his feelings, Survivor Guilt, a lot of feelings, building up to a fix-it maybe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-08 11:13:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20834525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Genius_626/pseuds/Genius_626
Summary: A coalition is forming in what remains of Stone in the Wood. Rian and Brea naturally come into positions of leadership, but something besides the threat of the Skeksis troubles them. They fear for Deet, knowing not what has become of her after their last battle. Has she fallen to the Darkening? Can she be found? Can she recover?Set just days after the end of the first season.





	Falling

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not going to attempt to write an entire season's worth of plot. I'm mainly interested in imagining how Rian and Brea might break off from the resistance for a minute to go find Deet.
> 
> I'm also into exploring all the emotional beats that had to take a back seat to the plot, so prepare for deep reflections lol. I'm also planning to draw some illustrations, so stay tuned for those.
> 
> Enjoy! :)

Her cries echoed in the halls of the Skeksis. The light was gone from her eyes before her body burst into nothing. His tears had never stung so, his heart shattered to pieces, and yet he hadn't the time to think, for they'd found him. He ran, and it felt like forever. There seemed to be no way out, no light to guide him through, no sound but for the screeches of the horrid monsters wielding the power of the crystal. 

Suddenly, he was out in the wild, watching a vat of hungry gobbles, Ordon in the grasp of the Hunter. The crunching, churning, biting sounds of the gobbles were not enough to drown out the cries of his father sinking into the earth as he was eaten alive.

He turned away from the sight, agony stricken, but he was not alone. Just behind him stood the pale figure of Deet, emotionless, with eyes as dark as night. She rose her hand that sparked with a strange power --

Rian opened his eyes and inhaled sharply, waking from a terrible nightmare. He took a few deep breaths to still his fast-beating heart. His head was still swimming, his mind caught between dream and reality.

He groaned, not having had a wink of restful sleep in days. But the frustration quickly melted into sorrow — there seemed to be no escape from his tormented heart, not even in sleep.

He stood from his bedroll, determined to shake off the disturbing images ravaging his mind. He knew he couldn’t expel the sadness, the regret, the loneliness…but at least he could find someplace to sit under the stars and try to get some peace of mind.

Not far away from Stone in the Wood was a rocky ledge that he used to climb in his youth. It had the perfect view of the night sky, a solitary perch he hadn't revisited in ages. It took some minutes to walk there, and even in the dark, he remembered where to go and what to climb. The vines still held strong, and the same footholds still remained, and for a moment, no time had passed since he had first discovered this ledge as a small Gelfing.

Just before reaching the top of the ledge, he nearly jumped as a shadowy figure came into view above him. The moons glowed behind what he knew to be the shape of a Gelfing, but he couldn't make out the face. However, the Gelfling's identity wasn't a mystery for long, as her voice had an unmistakable cadence. 

“Rian!” Brea said. She reached out to him and helped to pull him the rest of the way up. Once he was stood on the ledge, they could see each other properly in the moonlight. 

"How did you find me?" She asked.

"I wasn't aiming to." Rian answered. "Did you mean to be left alone?"

"Oh no--Well, yes, at first, but I'm glad to see you!" Brea replied. "Please, stay. You must have come up here for a reason."

"Yes, I did." Rian said, looking up at the stars. "I used to come up here as a boy."

He sat on the rocky floor of the ledge, still staring out. Brea sat next to him, and silence fell over them. It was a calm silence, one unburdened by tension -- which Rian greatly appreciated, having felt nothing but tension just minutes before. 

"I remember the time when my father showed me how to navigate by the stars." Rian said, breaking the silence. "I was fairly young, and it wasn't all that much fun, but I liked spending time with him. He was always so busy."

"I felt the same, about my mother." Brea said. "When I was much younger, I remember that Mother used to let me sit at her feet during meetings. They were oh so dull, especially for a small child, but I liked being close to her." Brea sighed. "She was so often hard on me, but she wanted what she thought was best for me. In the end, she listened to me, believed me. She would've been here with us."

They were silent again for a moment, Rian not knowing what to say. Brea started again.

"You must miss your father terribly." She said. "You didn't get to mourn him. Or for Mira."

Rian's breath caught at the name. It seemed so long ago that it'd been spoken aloud; it felt like ages since Mira had walked among them, since he'd held her hand, heard her voice.

"I miss her, too." Rian said softly. "Did you know her?" 

"Oh, yes, she and...she and Tavra were friends." Brea spoke her sister's name softly. It had been only days since her burial, the wound still fresh in her heart. 

Rian reached out to hold her hand, and Brea took it warmly, thankful for such friendly comfort. 

"Their losses will not be in vain." Rian said, squeezing her hand. Brea's breath hitched, and Rian felt his own tears sting his eyes. 

Brea took a deep breath, turning to Rian and reaching out with her free hand to wipe away a single tear streaming down his face.

"I'm glad I met you." She said. "To have a friend like you, in a time like this."

"I'm also glad." Rian replied. "Who would've thought we'd have so much in common. A guard of the Crystal, and a Vapran Princess."

Brea smiled at that. She squeezed his hand before they separated. She then pulled out her sketchbook, flipping to a page Rian hadn't seen yet, a new one she'd just painted earlier in the day. It depicted all the clan symbols together in a circle of colors that burst like the sunrise. 

"If I've learned anything over the past few weeks, it's that Gelfling from all over Thra aren't so different. We may not all be the same, but we are all equal, and better together than we are apart."

"I couldn't agree more." Rain said, smiling.

Brea's words reminded him of meeting Deet, how he thought Grottans were so different, how he thought she was so different. Well, she was different, but not in a bad way. She was a breath of fresh air, she held an ear to the voiceless and had an eye for what surface dwellers took for granted as ordinary.

The thought of Deet made his heart flutter, but then it would sink. This emotion must have shown on his face, because as Rian and Brea locked eyes, she gave him a knowing look. 

“I’m worried about her, too.” Brea said.

Rian blushed, though he was unsurprised that Brea was able to read him so quickly.

“I _wanted_ to follow her, but I feel she pushed me away...”

“I don’t blame you for staying here.” Brea said sympathetically. "We have no idea what the darkening has done to her, or what it's doing to the nature she touches. Besides, we've needed you here. the coalition looks to you for guidance."

"They look to you, as well." Rian replied. "I almost wish they didn't. I feel like if I go, I'm abandoning them. But if I stay, I'm abandoning Deet." He shook his head. "She can't be lost to us forever, I won't give up that hope. I can't lose her too, not when we just found each other."

Brea's heart swelled, Rian could tell by the look she now gave him. The swooning sigh helped, too. 

"Do you just say romantic things without knowing, or do you think of it in advance?" Brea said, lightly poking him in the ribs. 

Her sudden teasing made him laugh. "I suppose it comes naturally!"

“So is it safe to assume that someone might be falling in love?” Brea asked. She giggled when Rian’s face turned even redder.

“How would you know?” Rian teased, lightly jabbing Brea back with his elbow. She laughed a bit and pushed him away.

“I just do!” Brea said.

Rian laughed again. He's had never had siblings, but he imagined this is what having a sister might feel like.

They calmed down and grinned at each other, both happy to be enjoying some lighthearted fun. Rian looked up at the moon, it's white soft light reminding him of the glowing plants of the Grottan caves.

“You’re right." He said. "But I've fallen in love before, and this feels different."

"How so?" Brea asked.

"Well...it wasn't a sudden fall. How could it be? We were dodging so much danger, traveling so far, meeting so many people, on a mission, we hadn't the time to do simply _be_. But she crashed into my life like a whirlwind, and now I must admit, I'm transfixed by all she is. Her kindness, her bravery, her humor, her creativity." Rian paused, his eyes to the ground. "But all these warm feelings stir up in me with the guilt of leaving her, and the fear that she may be lost forever. I worry that the longer we wait, the deeper she’ll fall into the darkening.”

Brea nodded. “Then maybe, we don't wait anymore."

Rian looked up. "What do you mean?"

"The coalition is making plans and fortifying. Surely, we can strike out on our own for a while to look for her. Mother Aughra should know something about the darkening that can help Deet. So what do you say?"

Rian thought over this proposal out loud. "You're right about the coalition, though I don't think they'd want us to leave. I...I wonder what my father would so. He was a military leader, he didn't abandon his post."

"But he did." Brea said. "His last act as general was defying his orders to be with you, the one person he loved most in this world. Deet is worth searching for, even if we're the only ones willing to do it. She's a hero, she saved us all, and if we can reach her, we might be able to help her harness what power she has, if only to keep her safe an in control of herself."

Rian nodded. "I agree, wholeheartedly I do. When should we tell them?"

"First thing tomorrow morning," Brea answered. "First thing's first, we get some sleep."

Rian wasn't convinced he could sleep now, no longer because of his nightmares, but because of the anticipation of tomorrow morning. They had no plan, they didn't even know if they had the sanction of the coalition, but they would go no matter. They were going to find her.

_I'm coming, Deet. Hang on._

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: I probably won't continue with this story, I have a few more headcanons and AUs that I'd like to flesh out, but I'm glad I started somewhere :) 
> 
> If you'd like to see my fan art, find me @jzanderk on IG


End file.
